CLEVELAND, Ohio --The paintings of Kayleigh Mooney welcome visitors as they enter the fourth floor of the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Justice Center. Her father explains their deeper meaning born out of her daughter's horrific experience.

Kayleigh was sexually assaulted in 2016 and immediately told her parents what happened. Not long after her abusers were sentenced, a car struck the 15-year-old and killed her as she played with friends on a Cleveland Heights street. She died in her father's arms.

Mooney donated her paintings she left behind, and 15 students from Bolton Elementary School lent their artistic work. The paintings were unveiled Wednesday morning on the fourth floor of the juvenile prosecutor's office in Cleveland's Fairfax neighborhood. The drawings are a way to give a once cold, unwelcoming space a facelift, and to decorate the walls with messages of hope, love, power, resilience and motivation during traumatic moments.

Juvenile Division Chief Prosecutor Gregory Mussman said Kayleigh's artwork was the inspiration to ask other students at the elementary school to paint drawings for the prosecutor's office. He wanted positive messages to allow the support for criminal victims, who are often interviewed in the offices prior to testifying in trials. Students went to work in October with paint and blank canvases bought by the prosecutor's office.

One of Mussman's favorites is a red and white painting that sits on the wall in the lobby with the word "Power" written across it in capital letters. It's bright, vibrant and offers reassurance, he says.

"I've had children that have been assaulted and have been victimized walk through these doors, and they are scared that they have to comfort the person that abused them," he said. "One of the inspirational quotes is that 'There's power in being brave' and I want them to know that they have the power, they can stand up and it's their time to tell everyone it's not OK and to stand up for themselves."

Students between the 5th and 8th grades moved through the hallway Wednesday touching their paintings and those of other classmates. Many wore looks of disbelief that their work was on display. They snapped photos, selfies and pulled prosecutors and judges to show them what they made. They also asked tough questions on whose painting was their favorite.

The experience left many of the students with the desire to become artists. The prosecutor's office surprised the children with awards that included tickets to an Indians game and Cleveland Cavaliers T-Shirts during a presentation over pizza and beverages.

Mussman made it clear that the day was all about the kids and declared it to be one of the better days to be a prosecutor.

"To me, it's just as valuable as a Van Gogh painting," he said. "In fact, it's more to me because you see the children there and you got to witness how it affects each and every one of them."

Bolton art teacher, Alyssa Moyer, said she didn't give her students much prompting when they started painting, but she asked them what made them happy and how could it be put on canvas.

"They were just super inspired and dug deep inside of themselves," Moyer said.

The students joined an art club and gave up their lunch break to complete the paintings. They pretty much ate and painted on something other than paper, Moyer said.

Overwhelmed with joy, Moyer managed to put her smiles into words on how important this experience is for the kids.

"I'm just super proud of them," she said. "Art speaks a different language. I don't hear these messages from them verbally, but to see them pour onto a canvas is just amazing."

The paintings will have a permanent home on the walls at the prosecutor's office. Mussman hopes to stockpile several and give them to children who are victimized and may need encouragement.

For the time being, there's a blank canvas at the end of Kayleigh's paintings with plenty of markers. It's meant to allow children and others to write messages for the victims who might enter the halls in the future. Some of the Bolton Elementary students wrote about love and dreams in red ink.

Mooney, who said Kayleigh -- whom he nicknamed "Kakie" -- painted throughout the court proceedings in her trial, used dark colors to show her toughest moments and soon used bright colors to display her hope, optimism and strength quickly reemerged.

"Kakie, the star of the sea, continue to inspire through your courage, love and light," he wrote on the blank canvas in a purple sharpie. "I love you so much, baby girl. Daddy."